“Well, Lady! If you’ve decided on a dress, you must try it on, of course! Time waits for no one. Su, Lina!”

Clap clap!

A cheerful applause echoed through the boutique.

Once again, without any regard for Nigel’s opinion, Su and Lina took her behind the screen.

They smiled at Nigel with an inscrutable expression.

And shortly after…

“Aaaaargh!”

Several beast-like howls erupted from behind the screen.

“Hmm~ Hmmm~”

Madam Ludin examined Nigel’s clothes and noted modifications in her notebook, even amidst the ear-piercing screams.

Swoosh!

Just as Ludin finished checking Nigel’s casual wear, the screen parted dramatically.

And.

…Thud.

Ludin’s notebook fell limply to the floor.

“…Oh my.”

Ludin covered her mouth with both hands.

Su and Lina looked at their employer with proud eyes.

Even they thought their work deserved praise.

The dress, made by hand-weaving silver threads with a blue tint, flowed beautifully along the lines of Nigel’s body.

With each slight movement Nigel made, the elegant blue light held within the silver threads sparkled in all directions.

The heart-shaped neckline, revealing the neck and chest area, accentuated Nigel’s straight neckline, making it even more beautiful.

The sleeves, which gradually flared towards the ends, were a design popular among young ladies, adding freshness and innocence.

To sum it up in one word…

“El-egant!”

That would be it.

Ludin circled around Nigel, gazing with love-struck eyes at the customer who perfectly embodied the intention of her creation.

Su and Lina also followed closely behind Ludin, nodding their heads repeatedly.

‘…What’s this, like giving a diamond to a crow?’

Nigel, for her part, frowned at her reflection in the mirror. As it happened, her hair was as dark as a crow’s.

The dress wasn’t the problem. The problem was herself.

Su and Lina had applied some unknown oil to her broom-like hair, combed it diligently, and styled it prettily, but her poorly maintained hair was still dry and frizzy.

Her face, in such a severe state it was painful to speak of, was rough from accumulated fatigue, with dark circles under her eyes.

Her reflection in the mirror looked as awkward as a beast tied to a leash for the first time.

“…Is this really okay?”

Nigel said, pointing at herself in the mirror.

“Of course not.”

Madam Ludin, who had been frantically circling Nigel, stopped and said firmly.

“Lady Nigel, we’ve only just finished the fitting. It’s not complete yet. When you come next Tuesday, the dress will be even more perfect, tailored just for you, ohoho!”

“…”

Well, that figures.

Nigel let out a hollow laugh.

‘…Whatever happens, happens. It’s not my money anyway, and I’ll look ridiculous in any dress.’

Yes, the clothes didn’t matter at all.

If she wore Ludin’s dress, her skinny body would stand out unfavorably compared to the voluminous dress, and if she wore a silk dress, she’d be compared to the female lead.

“Ah, shall I prepare a corset for next week too? You’d look even more beautiful wearing a corset.”

“No.”

Nigel flatly refused.

Although appearance does influence one’s life, Nigel preferred to eat lunch comfortably even if she looked a bit like a log, rather than endure pain for a slim waistline.

“If the fitting is done, can I go now?”

“Ah, yes, of course.”

Clap-clap!

For the first time, the annoying clapping sound seemed cheerful.

“Su, Lina! Help the lady change back.”

Finally free from the dressing ordeal, Nigel changed back into the clothes she wore when she first came to the shop and stepped out from behind the screen with light steps.

“Lady, I was thinking of sending you a few sets of casual wear today, would that be alright?”

“Yes, please send them.”

Nigel, without being asked, wrote down the inn’s address on a piece of paper and handed it to Ludin.

“I’ve received it well. Then, Lady, I’ll see you next Tuesday morning.”

Nigel nodded and quickly left the boutique without waiting for a send-off.

“Phew…”

She had left early in the morning, but the sun was already high in the sky.

It was definitely lunchtime.

After devouring three bowls while seated, Nigel finished paying, inwardly complaining about the capital’s prices.

Then Nigel headed to the central bank of the Evans merchant group.

It didn’t take long to find. She just had to walk straight towards the tall, ornate building adorned with gold.

She did end up in a few dead-end alleys, but that was a forgivable record by Nigel’s standards.

Upon entering the bank, people with smiles similar to Sally’s from before greeted Nigel.

“How may I assist you, customer?”

After waiting her turn and approaching the counter, the clerk greeted Nigel kindly.

He was smiling brightly, but upon closer inspection, his eyes lacked any vitality.

“I’d like to deposit 2 gold and 6 silver.”

At Nigel’s words, his eyebrows raised slightly before returning to their original position.

“…I’ll escort you to the reception room, customer.”

He immediately came out from behind the counter and led Nigel to a reception room inside the bank.

Nigel sat on a plush sofa and took a sip of the fragrant tea he brought.

The appealing desserts caught her eye, but she had to save room for dinner at the inn later.

To do that, she needed to finish her business here quickly.

Tap.

Nigel set her teacup down on the table.

“I’d like to use a vault.”

What Nigel just said was a code phrase used by customers looking for anonymous vaults.

Anonymous vaults were protected by powerful barriers, preventing unauthorized access.

“Yes. Understood, customer. Before that, for security purposes, could you please enter a password into this magic device?”

After Nigel entered a combination of numbers and letters, the device displayed the number 314-5.

314-5 was Zeronin’s vault number.

“Yes, your vault access has been confirmed. Now, I’ll guide you to the vault. This way.”

Following his guidance, Nigel took the elevator inside the bank and descended to the basement.

Ding!

“We’ve arrived. Please be careful of the gap between the platform and the ground when exiting.”

Heeding his words, Nigel took a big step out of the elevator.

“I’ll wait here, so please take your time with your business, customer.”

Nigel nodded and placed her hand on the vault with a single door on a black wall marked 314-5.

The door glowed and opened wide, as if granting Nigel entry.

Creak.

As Nigel entered, the door closed automatically.

There was another door inside.

It was a structure designed for thorough security.

Placing her hand on the locked door again, it opened easily.

While most people store cash, valuables, weapons, or magic stones in their vaults, Zeronin’s vault was different.

The chest containing gold was tucked away in a corner, and all the walls were packed with potion bottles.

Among them, only a few rows were filled with bottles, while most were empty.

Woong.

As Nigel closed her eyes and habitually layered multiple transparent barriers with her magic, a low vibration sound was heard.

Now, no one but Nigel would know what happens inside this room.

“Phew…”

Nigel took a deep breath and closed her eyes.

Soon after, the room was filled with a golden light. The magic was so deep and vast that even Nigel, who was releasing her own magic, could barely open her eyes.

After about 5 minutes, Nigel opened her eyes.

Her body, which had felt as heavy as if carrying a massive load, now felt light.

The numerous empty potion bottles were now all filled with shimmering golden liquid.

The potion labels were inscribed with ‘Reparo’ in elegant cursive.

“Now I can finally live.”

It had been over a month and two weeks since she last released her magic due to being so busy.

Since manifesting her magic, or more precisely, her holy power at the age of 10, Nigel had suffered from magic addiction.

Magic addiction is a disease that occurs when those with more magic than their bodies can handle accumulate it over a long period, and in severe cases, it can be fatal.

It’s a condition that commonly affects young children whose bodies haven’t fully developed, usually disappearing naturally as they grow, but Nigel continued to suffer from magic addiction well into adulthood.

Having never met another holy maiden, she didn’t know if this was common to all holy maidens or unique to her.

It was a great fortune that Zeronin was the first to discover Nigel collapsed from magic addiction in the orphanage backyard.

Zeronin, who had been creating potions since childhood and even at the academy, succeeded in transforming holy power into magic recovery potions.

Nigel extended her life by releasing magic into potion bottles engraved with complex magic circles on a monthly basis, while Zeronin sold these to gain wealth.

Zeronin was the only person who knew Nigel was a holy maiden and was an assistant helping her live quietly.

However, this didn’t change her impression of him.

He was, as always, an annoying presence who only nagged.

“I’m taking some.”

Nigel opened the chest in the corner and grabbed a handful of gold, stuffing it into her bag.

Jingle jingle.

The clerk waiting for Nigel at the elevator raised his head at the familiar sound in the distance.

It was the sound he heard every day working at the bank and the one he loved the most.

It was the beautiful harmony created by gold coins rubbing against each other.

He immediately put on his business smile and greeted the young customer warmly.